Furnace-setting



H. NICKLE. FURNACE SETTING. APPLICATION FILED lULY I, 1918.

Patented Feb. 3,1920.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2 AT 0mm;

'F. H. NICKLE. FURNACE SETTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I. 1918.

Patentgd Feb. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 5 W Y W i a d \w 1 ////0# \z /1 7 FRANK I-I. NICKLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FURNACE-SETTING.

Application filed July 1, 1918. Serial No. 242,753.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. NIoKLn, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Furnace-Setting, of which the following is a specification.

his invention has reference to furnace settings adapted for heating large containers, such as concentration pots for the pro duction of fused caustic soda. It is also applicable to the heating of various kinds of direct fired process retorts. The accompanying drawings illustrate the application of my idea when gaseous powdered or liquid fuel is used as a heating medium for caustic pots.

Some of the objects of my invention are as follows: I

To enable a uniform distribution of the products of combustion over the heating surface of the pot or retort, so that the intensity of the heat gradually decreases from the bottom upward; to avoid the direct in1- pingement of the flame upon the container heating surface; to obtain a thorough'mixture of the combustible gases; to reduce radiation losses from the furnace walls; to prevent air leakage through the furnace walls; to provide for expansion and con traction of the furnace walls; to provide means whereby the waste heat in the flue gases may be utilized; and further, to pro-- vide a simple and inexpensive arrangement of dampers for controlling the direction of the flue gases.

In furnace settings, such as ordinarily used for caustic pots, the most active heating surface is adjacent to the combustion chamber, where the hottest furnace gases impinge. At this point, due tothe erosive action of the caustic soda, the wear and tear on the pot is greater'than elsewhere. To distribute this wear and tear uniformly, so

as to prolong the life of the pot, it is theusual practice to turn the pot a portion of a revolution at regular intervals. t will appear obvious that the expense and ourtailment of operations, necessary to turn large containers such as caustic pots, is obviated by the construction herein disclosed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my improved furnace setting to a caustic pot, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line .A A. of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is, a Sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

plan, corresponding to Fig. 2, in which a modification of my invention is embodied. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan, also corresponding to Fig. 2, of a battery of two furnaces ar ranged to operate in parallel or reversible series. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan illustrating a three-furnace arrangement in which my invention is also embodied. The slip joints and the casing are omitted from the draw-- ing, Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Fig. 6 showsa sectional plan of an improved arrangement of fine dampers, which may be applied to the design shown in either Fig. 4 or Fig. 5. Fig. .7 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modification. I I Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,-the numeral 1 indicates a caustic pot or any form of retort, hereinafter termed a container, which may serve for liquids undergoing concentration or for various steps wherein materials may be subjected to heat treatment. The container is shown supported on a central pier 2, however, it will be understood that overhead suspension means may be resorted to when it is desirable to apply heat to the lower extremities of the container. Surrounding the container and concentrically spaced therefrom 'is a fire brick wall 3, which is hereinafter termed a fire wall. Inside of the fire wall and spaced therefrom, to form an annular combustion chamber4, is a concentric wall 5 which is hereinafter termed a fire guard. A plurality of ducts 6 in the fire guard admit the products of combustion to the heating zone 7 at the lower extremities of the container. The cover 8 for the combustion chamber may be built integral with the fire wall and the fire guard, and is preferably constructed so that the face 9 adjacent to the container forms a vertical passage 10 of gradnaliy decreasing cross-section for ascending products of combustion. The gradual reduction of the cross-sectional area of the heating passage, from the bottom of the container upward, reduces the hydraulic mean depth of the gases and thereby increases the effectiveness of heating surface, so as to enable more contacts of the gas particles in a unit of time. The term hydraulic mean depth has reference to the quotient of the area of the gas stream divided by the perimeter formed by the heating surface of the container touched by the ascending gases. Surrounding the fire wall and spaced ther fr m to vertical passage ri an exterior brick wall 12. The passage 11 serves as a down-take for the flue gases, which are admitted thereto from the passage by means of a plurality of ducts 13 in the fire wall 3 near the top thereof.

The down-take 11 is divided into a plurality of flues by means of the vertical partitions 14, each of the partitions being preferably arranged 'to form a male and female slip joint, the same having sufficient clearance 15 to allow for radial expansion of the fire wall. Communicating with the bottom of the several down-take lines 11 in an annular flue 16, which may be termed a collector flue, which communicates with the stack 17 by means of the intermediate flue 18, or to another container setting when it is desirable to utilize the waste heat in the escaping flue gases as hereinafter pointed out. The flue gases descending down the passages 11 tend to heat the exterior of the fire wall, thereby retarding radiation losses therefrom. The heat that does pass through the fire wall tends to reheat the flue gases and is subject to recovery when two or more containers are operated in series.

Surrounding the brick wall 12 and spaced therefrom is a sheet metal jacket 19, the concentric space being packed with any fibrous material such as asbestos or the like that has suitable heat insulating properties and is sufliciently yielding to allow for the expansion and contraction of the outer brick wall 12. The object of the jacket is to make the brickwork air-tight, thereby preventing the diluting and cooling effect of cold air upon the heating gases. The jacket is especially important when the flue gases are to be used as a heating medium for other containers. If desired, the jacket may include the removable metal cover 19 bolted thereto at 19 and overlying the insulating material 20 on the upper face of the wall and overlapping the marginal edge of the container. In operation, liquid or gaseous fuel is supplied to the combustion chamber through the inlets 21 by means of the by drocarbon burners 22, the blast from the burners being directed tangentially to the walls of the combustion chamber. As the radial ducts in the fire guard are at right angles to the direction of the blast, it is obvious that the combustible gases may travel circumferentially a considerable distance after leaving the burners before gaining entrance to the ducts. This long travel and swirling motion effects a thorough mixing of the gases, the complete combustion of which is insured by being intensely heated by the radiant heat that is reflected from the inner face of the fire wall 3. In this manner the chilling efie ct of the container heating surface upon the burning gases is avoided, and a uniform delivery of the products of combustion to the heating zone around the container is assured. As the passage 10, between the fire wall and the container, is of a gradually decreasing crosssection from the bottom upward, the velocity of the ascending gases is accelerated, the ob ject being to maintain a uniform distribution of the heating gases to insure the efiectiveness of the entire heating surface and to avoid local overheating of the container.

Fig. 3 corresponds to Fig. 2 in all details with the exception of the fire guard 23, the continuity of which is broken to form a plurality of independent combustion chambers 1, each of which is provided with a hydrocarbon burner 25. In operation, the blast from each burner is directed tangentially to the combustion chamber walls and in the same general direction, the length of the circumferential travel being limited by the junction of the fire guard with the fire wall at 26.

From the combustion chambers the heating gases are withdrawn through the ducts 27 and forwarded in exactly the same manner as heretofore pointed out. in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. l is a sectional plan corresponding to Fig, 2 which illustrates a battery of two container settings arranged to operate in pa allel or reversible series. When operating in series, either container may serve as the primary, by being fired directly, while the other container serves as a secondary or econo-mizer for abstracting heat from the flue gases withdrawn from the primary container setting. In this arrangement 28 and 29 designate the piers which support the containers to be heated, and r spectively corresponding thereto 30 and 31 indicate the combustion chambers, 32 and 33 the passages for the ascending heating gases, 341 and 35 a plurality of down-take fines, and 38 and 39 the outlet lines which communicate with the collector flues (not shown) which correspond with 16 in Fig. 1, and conduct the heating gases to either the stack base 40 or to the opposite container setting, the direction of flow being regulated by means of a series of dampers 411, 12, 4:3 and 44-. By opening the dampers 4:2 and -14, and closing 4:1 and 413, the container resting on pier 23 may be fired directly by means of the burners a5, the resulting flue gases being conducted through the flue 38 to the combustion chamber 31, the delivery being made tangentially to the walls of the com bustion chamber and in the same general direction as the blast from the burners applied thereto. By reversing the dampers, the container supported on pier 29 may be fired directly, the flue gases therefrom being delivered to the other container setting. In operation, assuming the production of fused caustic soda, the pot containing the highly concentrated or moltenv product is fired directly, the resulting high temperature flue gases therefrom being utilized as a heating medium for preheating and effecting the partial concentration of the fresh caustic soda solution supplied to the other pot. After effecting the desired concentration, the firing of the former pot is discontinued and the. firing of the latter is commenced. As soon as, the former pot has been unloaded and refilled with fresh caustic solution, it may be operated in series with the latter pot, thereby serving as a secondary or economizer.

Fig. 5 is a sectional P121111, also corresponding to Fig. 2, which illustrates a battery of three container settings arranged to operate in parallel or series, in which 50, 51 and 52 indicate the piers which support the con tainers, 53, 54- and 55 the respective combustion chambers, 56, 57 and 58 the respective clown-take flues that communicate with the collector flues (not shown) which correspond with 16 in Fig. 1. The horizontal flues 59, 60 and 61 are arranged to deliver the outgoing heating gases from the containers, corresponding to 50, 51 and 52, to the combustion chambers 54, 55 and 53 respectively, or to the communicating flues 62, 63, and 64 which lead to the stack base 65, the direction of flow being controlled by means of a series of dampers 66, 67, 68, 69, 70 and 71. By closing all of the dampers and opening 67 and 68, the container supported on pier may be fired directly by means of burners 72, the outgoing flue gases being conducted through the flue 59 and applied as a heating medium to the container solution in the remaining resting on the pier 51. In a like manner, eitherof the other containers may be fired directly as the primary, while the next succeeding container serves as a secondary or economizer. By closing all of the dampers and opening 66, 68 and 70, all ofthe containers may be fired simultaneously and operated in parallel.

In operating a battery of three furnace settings, for the finishing of a solution of caustic soda to obtain the is desirable to conduct the operations in a progressive cycle, so that when the filing of any pot containing finished, product is discontinued, to allow for the settling and packing of the caustic soda, the next succeeding pot containing highly concentrated solution. is firedv directly, the high temperature flue gases therefrom being utilized for the initial concentration of the low density pot.

If desirable to increase the output of the several containers to a maximum when operating in series. any of the secondary containers may be fired simultaneously to augn'ient the heating effect of the flue gases delivered thereto. YVhen operating in this manner, the flue gases from the preceding or fused product, it

primary container setting, being delivered tangentially into the combustion chamber of the next succeeding container setting, and in the same general direction as the blast from the burners applied thereto, it is evident that the fresh products of combustion are thoroughly mixed with the flue gases, thereby resulting in a recuperative effect which raises the temperature of the flue gases and increases the rate of heat transmission in the secondary container.

Fig. 6 illustrates an improved arrangement of dampers, applicable to any arrangement of furnace settings which may operate in both parallel and series, such as heretofore described. cate a series of fines, 80 being an outlet for the flue gases from a primary container set ting, 81 the inlet to a secondary container setting, and 82 an inlet to a stack 83 or other draft producing means. The butterfly dampers 84 and 85, together with the hinged damper 86, provide means for controlling the direction of flow, the hinged damper functioning as a closure for either flue 81 or 82. The object of the intermediate hinged damper is to provide additional means for preventing the leakage of flue gases in the wrong direction, as a single damper, owing to poor bearing contact with irregular brickwork. when closed may not prove entirely effective.

The downtake flues 11 may be superseded by a dead air space or spaces 91 (Fig. 7) be tween the inner fire brick wall 8 and the outer common brick wall 12 in which event the hot gases may be withdrawn from the passageway 10 by a suitable flue 0r flue's (not shown This construction allows for the expansion and contraction of the highly heated interior wall or fire brick lining; vertical expansion maybe provided for in this case as in Fig. 1, namely: by forming the space 92 between the rim 94 of the pot and the shoulder 95 of the fire wall.

It is clear that many changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention; for example, in lieu of the hydrocarbon burners, other means may be arranged to deliver a blast of burning gases tangentially to the exterior of the fire guard in the same manner as the waste gases from a primary container setting are delivered to a secondary container setting. I do not, therefore,

wish to be limited otherwise than as indi cated by the su bjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a plurality of fire brick walls surrounding the container and concentrically spaced therefrom to respectively form a heating passageway for applying the products of combustion to the container. a fire guard, a combustion chamber, and a fire wall The numerals 80, 81 and 82 indi exterior to the combustion chamber, a cox er for the combustion Chamber extending across between the fire wall and the fire guard, a burner for supplying acombustible to the combustion chamber, a stack or other draft producing means for the withdrawal of the flue gases from the heating passageway, and means for admitting the products of combustion to the heating passageway, said means consisting of a plurality of ducts in the fire guard.

2. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a passageway for applying the heating gases to the container in upwardly flowing currents fire guard forming means within the confines of the fire wall and concentrically spaced therefrom to form a closed combustion space ourved in horizontal cross-section, a plurality of ducts in the fire guard for aidmitting the products of combustion to the heating passageway, and means for supply ing a combustible to the combustion space, said means consisting of a plurality of hydrocarbon burners arranged to deliver the blast therefrom tangentially to the exterior of the fire guard and in a single general direction.

3. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a pier for supporting the container, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form an arouate passageway for the ascending heating gases, arcuate fire guard forming means concentrically spaced between the pier and the fire wall to form a heating Zone around the pier and combustion space between the said fire guard forming means and the fire wall, hydrocarbon burners arranged to deliver the blast therefrom tangentially to the exterior of the fire guard, and means for withdrawing the heated gases from the combustion space, said means consisting of a stack cooperating with a plurality of radial ducts in the fire wall near the top thereof, and a plurality of radial ducts in the fire guard.

at. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a heating passage for the ascending products of combustion, an annular combustion chamber within the confines of the fire wall, and adapted to deliver the products of combustion to the heating passage, another wall exterior to the fire wall and concentrically spaced therefrom to form an annular downtake adapted for waste flue gases, the upper end of the heating passage and the upper end of the downtake being covered and being connected by a plurality of ducts, and means for withdrawing the flue gases from the bottom of the annular downtake.

5. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, fire wall formingmeans surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a closed annular passage for the ascending heating gases, another wall exterior to the fire wall forming means and concentrically spaced therefrom and joined thereto at intervals by radial slip-joints to form a plurality of independent downtakes arranged circumferentially and adapted for waste flue gases, there being a cover element extending across between said walls at the top, a plurality of ducts in the fire wall forming means near the top thereof, said ducts communicating between the passage .for the ascending heating gases and the corresponding downtake, and draft producing means for the withdrawing of the flue gases from the bottom of the several downtakes.

6. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a closed passage for applying heating gases to the container, a combustion chamber within the confines of the fire wall, means for heating the exterior of the fire wall with waste flue gases to prevent radiation losses therefrom, said means consisting of an exterior wall surrounding the fire wall and spaced therefrom to form a closed passage adapted for waste flue gases, there being a cover element extending across between the fire wall and the exterior wall at the top and forming with said fire wall a series of ducts through which the heating gases rising about the container fiow outwardly to the last named passage, and means for preventing cold air leakage. through the exterior wall, said means consisting of a metal jacket surrounding the exterior wall and spaced therefrom, the space being filled with an insulating material sufficiently yieldable to allow for the expansion of the exterior wall.

7. In combination, a primary container furnace setting having an outlet fiue for the flue gases, at secondary container setting having an inlet flue in communication with the outlet fine from the primary setting, a stack, a flue communication between the stack and the outlet flue, and means for controlling the direction of the flue gases, said means consisting of a series of dampers including a hinged damper adapted to serve as a closure for either the stack flue or the inlet flue to the secondary container setting.

8. In a furnace setting, a container having a substantially vertical axis, means for forming a combustion chamber below said container, means for directing a blast of burning gases in said chamber substantially tangentially about said axis below the container, means for forming a heating passageway wherein said gases rise immediately about the container and for admitting said tangentially moving burning gases to said passageway at intervals about the axis of the container,

9. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom except at the top to form a closed passage for applying the heating gases to the container, an annular combustion chamber within the confines of the fire wall, and means for heating the exterior of the fire wall to reduce radiation losses therefrom, said means consisting of an outer wall surrounding the fire wall and concentrically spaced therefrom except at the top to form a closed annular passage adapted for the waste heating gases, and radial ducts communicating between the said passages at the upper extremities thereof.

10. In a furnace setting, the combination of a retort, a plurality of concentric walls associated therewith and forming a heating passageway for applying the products of combustion to the container in rising currents, a fire guard, a combustion chamber, and a fire wall for the combustion chamber, a burner for supplying a combustible to the combustion chamber, said fire guard having a plurality of openings through which the products of combustion are admitted to the passageway at points spaced apart circumferentially of the retort.

11. In combination with a container, a substantially annular fire wall forming an annular heating passageway about said container, and an annular exterior wall concentric with and spaced from the fire wall and conducted thereto by radial slip joints.

12. In combination with a retort adapted to receive liquid, a substantially annular fire wall forming an annular heating passageway about said retort, an annular exterior wall concentric with and spaced from the fire wall to form a substantially annular downtake for waste gases, there being a cover extending across between the fire wall and the exterior wall at the top, said downtake being connected to the passageway at the top, said fire wall and said exterior wall being connected by radial slip joints.

13. In combination, a plurality of containers arranged at the corners of a polygon, furnace settings, one for each container, a single means, such as a stack, located within the polygon for discharging flue gases from the several settings, and a system of passages and passage controllin means so constructed and arranged that the containers may be either all fired simultaneously and independently or one fired and its flue gases utilized to preheat another of the containers.

14. In combination, a plurality of containers arranged at the corners of a polygon, furnace settings, one for each container, a flue common to the several settings and located within the confine of the polygon for discharging flue gases from the several settings, branched flues leading from each of the settings to the next adjacent setting and also to the first named flue, and passage controlling means for the branched flues, whereby each setting may be connected directly to the first named flue or indirectly thereto through the next adjacent setting.

15. In combination with a container, a fire wall forming a heating passageway about said container, and an exterior enveloping wall spaced from the fire wall and connected thereto by radial slip joints effective to permit either of said walls to move toward and from the container, regardless of the position of the other wall.

16. In combination, a primary container furnace setting having an outlet flue for the flue gases, a secondary container setting hav-v ing an inlet fine in communication with the outlet flue from the primary setting, a stack, a third flue connecting said outlet flue and the stack, a damper in the inlet fine, a second damper in the third fine, and a third damper adapted to close either the inlet flue or the third flue, to form with said other dampers either of two dead air spaces at will.

17. In combination, a primary container furnace setting having an outlet fine for the flue gases, a secondary container setting having an inlet flue in communication with the outlet flue from the primary setting, a stack, a third flue connecting said outlet flue and the stack, a damper in the inlet flue, a second damper in the third flue, and a third damper adapted to close one of the lines to 100 thereby form with one of the two first mentioned dampers a dead air space.

18. In a furnace setting, a first container,

a second container, means for forming a heating chamber around the first container, 105 means for forming a second heating chamber around the second container, means for independently firing said chambers, a stack or the like disposed between the two heating chamber forming means, and a plurality of 110 passages disposed on opposite sides of said stack and effective to connect said chambers to each other and to the stack, and regulating means for said passages so constructed and arranged that both chambers may be 115 simultaneously and independently fired, and so that either container may serve as a primary while the other serves as a secondary for the recovery of heat delivered from the primary container setting.

19. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a passage for the heating gases, a wall exterior to the fire wall and spaced therefrom, a metal jacket 125 surrounding the exterior wall and spaced therefrom to provide a space adapted for a yieldable insulating material, a detachable metal cover over the walls, and means for supporting the cover independently of the walls, said means c011sisting of the metal jacket cooperating with the container.

20. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a refractory Wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form a closed passage for applying heating gases to the container, a metal jacket surrounding the refractory wall to provide a space adapted for a yieldable insulating material, a de tachable metal cover over the refractory wall, and means for supporting the metal cover independently of the refractory wall, the said means consisting of the metal jacket cooperating with the rim of the container.

21. In combination with a container, refractory means forming a closed heating passageway about the container, air-tight means surrounding the refractory means and spaced therefrom, said air-tight means consisting of a cylindrical metal jacket and a detachable metal cover, and means for supporting the metal cover independently of the refractory means, said supporting means consisting of the cylindrical .metal jacket in cooperation with the rim of the container.

22. In a furnace setting, a container to be heated, a fire wall surrounding the container and spaced therefrom to form an annular heating passage immediately about the container, means for delivering heating gases substantially uniformly about the bottom of the heating passage, means for withdrawing the heating gases from the top of the heatingpassage, said last mentioned means consisting of a plurality of ducts in the fire wall substantially uniformly spaced around the container and in communication with draft producing means, and means for increasing the effectiveness of the container heating surface from the bottom upward, said last named means consisting of a gradual reduc tion in the hydraulic mean depth ascending heating gases.

FRANK H. NICKLE.

of the 

